Job Burnout Officially Recognized as a Health Issue

 

Brian Richmond

Former WeWork data scientist Brian Richmond founded the data science team at the health tech startup Aura Health. In this role, Brian Richmond manages the data infrastructure of the Aura Health app, which offers meditation, music, and life coaching sessions to reduce work-related stress.

The latest version of The World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Classification of Diseases, a publication that standardizes medical conditions and other health issues, lists burnout as a common reason for seeking medical services. WHO defines the phenomenon as a syndrome that arises from chronic and poorly managed workplace stress.

Symptoms of occupational burnout include a severe lack of energy, strong negative feelings about one’s work or workplace, and reduced productivity. The Mayo Clinic also cites substance abuse, high blood pressure, and insomnia as side effects.

A 2018 poll found that nearly 70 percent of American workers have felt burned out at some point. To counter the effects of burnout, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends achieving a better work-life balance and developing a more positive attitude toward workplace challenges.

Quantifying Employee Engagement

 

Brian Richmond

Leveraging his experience as the head of people analytics for WeWork, data scientist Brian Richmond co-organized the NY HR Analytics meetup. Brian Richmond has contributed extensively to the use of data, machine learning, and model building in common human resource topics, including employee retention and engagement.

Since employee engagement is directly tied to productivity, turnover, and customer satisfaction levels, businesses need to understand the factors that increase or reduce employee engagement. One of the most reliable ways to gather this data is to solicit information from employees through frequent, agile surveys.

To avoid overloading workers with lengthy questionnaires, employers can issue three to five item surveys through email or platforms like Slack. Questions should help measure indicators associated with high engagement, including a sense of purpose, day to day energy levels at work, feeling included , and perceived opportunities for professional growth.

Another highly predictive factor of employee engagement is known as the employee net promoter score, which measures how likely a worker would recommend working at the company to a friend. A higher score is correlated with higher rates of employee engagement.

Comparing the Benefits of Short and Long Meditation Sessions

Brian Richmond

Data scientist Brian Richmond  has improved analytics and product design in his senior roles at WeWork and Aura Health. Brian Richmond began working with Aura Health, the makers of a meditation and wellness app, in 2018.

When people first begin a meditation practice, they often find they can stay focused only for short intervals. Meditations sessions that last up to 30 minutes can change the structure of the amygdala, a brain region that triggers the fight or flight response. Short meditation sessions also provide a short-term boost to working memory and concentration. Longer sessions are associated with more profound changes, including lowered cortisol levels, reduced mind-wandering, and a strengthened immune response.

The brain structure of highly-advanced meditators displays significant alterations, leading to a less intensive response to painful stimuli and featuring a smaller nucleus accumbens, which is associated with addictive behaviors and cravings. Novices can strengthen their ability to sit in longer meditation sessions by slowly lengthening the periods of meditation, for instance, by adding just a few minutes each month.